Obama to Outline Energy Security Plan

President Barack Obama will outline a plan for America’s energy security on Wednesday, the White House said.

The speech comes as oil markets have been roiled by the crisis in Libya, and Japan is struggling to contain radiation from its earthquake-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant and stabilize the complex’s nuclear reactors and its storage tanks for nuclear waste.

Mr. Obama plans to deliver the speech at Georgetown University. On Friday, he will tour a UPS facility in suburban Landover, Md., where he’ll have an opportunity to kick the tires on “clean fleet” vehicles from UPS, AT&T, FedEx, PepsiCo and Verizon. He’s also delivering remarks to employees from those companies.

Gas prices in the U.S. have jumped in recent weeks amid political rebellion in Libya and a number of Middle Eastern countries. The rise in gas prices – the average price per gallon has jumped to $3.59 from $2.80 a year ago, according to AAA — has renewed criticism of the Obama administration’s energy policies in the wake of last year’s BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year.

The administration has approved seven deep-water drilling permits since the BP crisis and has said it would issue more if companies can demonstrate they can drill safely.

The administration has also said that nuclear energy, along with clean energies such as wind and solar power, will play an important role in making the U.S. energy independent.

Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said that Mr. Obama would visit the UPS facility on Wednesday. That event is planned for Friday.